The common name scallion is associated with various members of the genus Allium that lack a fully-developed bulb. They tend to be milder tasting than other onions and are typically used raw in salads.

Scallions are also known as green onions or bunching onions in the US and spring onions in the UK and Australia. Confusingly, the term "green onion" can also be used for immature specimens of the ordinary onion Allium cepa.

The species most commonly associated with the name is the welsh onion, Allium fistulosum. The name can also be used for Allium ascalonicum, better known as the shallot. The words "scallion" and "shallot" are related and can be traced back to the Greek askolonion as described by the Greek writer Theophrastus; this name, in turn, seems to originate from the Palestine town of Ascalon (modern-day Ashkelon in Israel).

In late 2003, there were reports of several cases of hepatitis contracted from raw scallions coming from some parts of Mexico.

"Most folks call them green onions but they're really scallions" -- Stan Freberg, Christmas Dragnet

External links

• Shallots, scallions, their history and varieties
• Growing scallions
• Onions and their relatives
• Confirmed report of hepatitis problem at Snopes.com